The town of Cardiff-by-the-Sea, California has a vandalism problem. Every so often, their $120,000, 16-foot-tall surfer statue dubbed the “Cardiff Kook” gets forcefully garlanded by the locals. Sometimes, the poor chump’s engulfed inside the mouth of a ornate, giant, papier-mâché white shark. Sometimes, he’s streamed with rolls and rolls of toilet paper. Sometimes, he’s turned into a precise recreation of Vincent Van Gogh, complete with a bottle of absinthe, a severed ear, a Post Impressionist-style painting, and his beloved familiars — crows. Yeah, they really get into it. Albeit this is mostly unauthorized, the city gives this a pass because it helps attract tourists. Check out a few of the surfer’s get-ups. Isn’t it time to break out the Pussy Riot balaclavas, Cardiff?
Image credit: Laurie/Flickr
Van Gogh!
Image credit: Dave Kennedy/Flickr
The Ten Commandments of surfing. But of course.
Image credit: Flickr
A classic.
Image credit: Flickr
SHARK!
Image credit: David Dewese/Flickr
Party.
Image credit: Chucky from SD/Flickr
Fight breast cancer.
Image credit: Chu Man Fu/Flickr
Huh?
Image credit: David Huagum/Flickr
Sexy Santa.
Image credit: Brian Chernicky/Flickr
Lit with green/blue “ocean” gels.
Image credit: Flickr
Merriment.